Ride The WAVE - AL Central Starting Pitchers

As with all of the posts, if you see a player that is not projected, and would like him to be, simply let me know in the comments section. BB per 9/hits per 9/K's per 9, followed by ERA/Wins/Sv/K's/WHIP:


CHW: Javier Vazquez - 2.17/8.79/8.19

• K's and a decent WHIP should be a lock. Seemingly sports an 'unlucky' ERA every season, and won't get a ton of wins though. WAVE: 4.25/13/0/193/1.217 in 212 IP.

CHW: Mark Buehrle - 1.98/9.75/5.00

• Loses value when he's not winning games, and WAVE only has him down for 12. 3.95/12/0/114/1.302 in 205 IP.

CHW: Gavin Floyd - 3.68/9.66/6.09

• Floyd will get a crack at a full time rotation slot, and the likely results are more AL-only than mixed league. Once a top prospect, it wouldn't be completely surprising to see him best these WAVE projections, but his ceiling is limited at this point. 4.81/9/0/119/1.483 in 176 IP.

CHW: Jose Contreras - 2.95/9.89/6.00

• Mediocrity at it's finest, Contreras hasn't looked any good since '05, and had his best season in Yankee pinstripes in '03. WAVE is projecting 4.50/11/0/128/1.427 in 192 IP.

CHW: John Danks - 3.36/9.80/6.50

• Danks should get the occasional big strikeout game, but hasn't excelled in the high minors, and doesn't look quite ready to be a capable big league starter. WAVE has him at 4.53/8/0/122/1.462 in 169 IP.

CLE: CC Sabathia - 1.82/8.96/7.67

• It's doubtful that Sabathia will top 240 innings again in '08, making it likely that the K's will drop. In fact, 2007 was likely Sabathia's career year, and there should be significant decline in nearly every category in '08. That's not to say that he's still not a fantasy ace, just don't bid for the '07 numbers. WAVE likes him for 3.48/16/0/185/1.198 in 217 IP.

CLE: Fausto Carmona - 2.66/8.74/5.96

• Carmona broke out in a big way last season, posting 19 wins with a 3.06 ERA, leading some to even vote for him in the Cy Young balloting. The numbers should come back down to earth a bit this season, but with a great offense backing him, he could still rack up plenty of wins. WAVE is projecting 3.77/15/0/139/1.267 in 210 IP.

CLE: Jake Westbrook - 2.60/9.79/5.01

• Westbrook could surprise with a solid win total while pitching for an excellent offensive club. WAVE: 4.22/12/0/108/1.376 in 194 IP.

CLE: Paul Byrd - 1.38/10.72/4.33

• Byrd won't strike many batters out, and is quite hittable. His only positive attribute, as far as fantasy baseball goes, is his ability to win games. WAVE has him projected at 4.77/12/0/88/1.344 in 183 IP.

CLE: Cliff Lee - 2.93/9.57/6.12

• Lee spent much of last season in the Minors, struggling while in the Majors to the tune of a 6.30 ERA. He should bounce back somewhat in '08. WAVE: 4.58/11/0/119/1.389 in 175 IP.

DET: Justin Verlander - 2.79/8.63/8.25

• The ace of the Tigers staff should win plenty of games while getting plenty of K's. A fantasy ace. WAVE projects 3.42/18/0/198/1.269 in 216 IP.

DET: Jeremy Bonderman - 2.63/9.46/7.62

• Bonderman hasn't quite developed as was hoped a few years ago, but is still a solid fantasy option for wins and K's with the potential for growth. WAVE: 4.57/13/0/165/1.344 in 195 IP.

DET: Kenny Rogers - 2.74/9.47/4.34

• Crafy lefty. Wily veteran. Two good descriptions of the aging Gambler. Here's another: Best left for AL-only leagues. WAVE has him at 4.14/11/0/84/1.356 in 174 IP.

DET: Nate Robertson - 3.03/9.78/6.21

• As with all Tigers pitchers, Robertson is worth keeping an eye on in the hopes of garnering some wins for your fantasy team, but not much else should be expected. WAVE is projecting 4.30/11/0/127/1.424 in 184 IP.

DET: Dontrelle Willis - 3.33/10.07/6.65

• Willis was downright horrible last season, setting career highs in BB, ERA, and WHIP. Any improvements Willis might have had, based on an unfamiliar league dealing with his funky delivery, will probably be negated by no longer getting to face the pitcher. WAVE: 4.61/12/0/156/1.488 in 211 IP.

KC: Gil Meche - 3.40/8.91/6.90

• Meche turned in a surprisingly strong season for the Royals in the first year of his 5 year $55 Million contract, tying a career high with 156 K's, and setting one with a 3.67 ERA. Run support figures to be a problem going forward. WAVE pegs him at 4.10/10/0/148/1.368 in 193 IP.

KC: Brian Bannister - 2.71/8.63/4.33

• Bannister doesn't strike many batters out, and is likely to see some major regression in his second year in the Royals rotation. Not someone to bid aggressively for. WAVE projects 4.17/12/0/104/1.259 in 216 IP.

KC: Zack Greinke - 2.37/9.67/7.82

• Greinke saw an increase in velocity and K rate in the bullpen last season, but both should drop in '08. Still only 24 years old, Zack has the potential to be the ace of the staff. WAVE: 3.91/8/0/152/1.337 in 175 IP.

KC: John Bale - 4.63/10.27/7.35

• The success that Bale saw while pitching for Hiroshima of the NPB didn't translate well last season back in MLB. Someone to avoid in fantasy leagues. WAVE is projecting 5.58/5/0/116/1.655 in 142 IP.

KC: Brett Tomko - 2.63/9.64/5.57

• It looks as though Tomko will be in the rotation full time in '08, but expectations should be kept to a minimum. WAVE sees a 4.82/7/0/104/1.363 line in 168 IP.

MIN: Francisco Liriano - 3.72/8.01/8.13

• Liriano has looked nearly ready in the pre-season, but velocity, location, and success, should all fluctuate considerably in-season. He's likely to throw some gems, as well as get rocked in the first half of the season, but could find his groove by the All-Star break. A prime target in keeper leagues, WAVE has him at 4.94/11/0/140/1.303 in 155 IP.

MIN: Livan Hernandez - 3.31/10.63/4.27

• Hernandez looked terrible last year, and a move to the American League surely won't help matters. WAVE: 5.27/12/0/102/1.549 in 215 IP.

MIN: Boof Bonser - 3.00/9.69/7.06

• On the short list for coolest MLB names, Bonser should show some improvement in '08, and provides a decent K rate. WAVE projects 4.57/10/0/153/1.410 in 195 IP.

MIN: Scott Baker - 1.87/10.20/6.37

• Baker turned in 23 decent starts in '07, and WAVE likes him to show progress this season, posting a 4.21/12/0/133/1.340 line in 188 IP.

MIN: Kevin Slowey - 1.56/11.04/6.58

• Slowey just scratched the surface of his immense talent last season. Look for steady improvement over the next couple of seasons. Brad Radke is an excellent comparable for Kevin. WAVE has him at 4.69/12/0/139/1.400 in 190 IP.